


Heartstrings

by MacaroniMacaw2209



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Everyone knows everyone in some way or another, F/F, He wears glasses sometimes, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith works at a shelter, Lance is a cat person, Lance plays a guitar, M/M, MMMMMM It's aight, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Shiro loves matt, Slow Burn, Trans Keith (Voltron), Trans Lance (Voltron), UHHH Lance has issues sometimes, holy shit that's a tag, it's hella fluffy, klance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2018-12-24 21:24:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12021279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MacaroniMacaw2209/pseuds/MacaroniMacaw2209
Summary: Keith always loved going to his local music store. Though, he couldn't afford any of the instruments, he loved just looking at the guitars that would hang from the walls, in long rows of musical beauty. He admired all of the gorgeous objects, and would even play some of them. However, Keith never expected to fall in love with an instrument, or rather, the boy holding one.





	1. They Could Hack Into the Pentagon Given a Pipe Cleaner, a Flip Phone, and Upwards of Thirty Minutes.

**Author's Note:**

> HHOOOOOO BOY IVE BEEN WORKIN ON THIS FOR A FEW MONTHS! I'd like to thank my friend Kay for proofreading and correcting Errors. Please enjoy!
> 
> EDIT: it has come to my attention that some people think that I tagged Klance as F/F, that is most certainly not the case, as I, myself, an a trans guy. It is in reference to Allura and her unspecified girlfriend in a future chapter. I apologize for anyone who thought I was being transphobic, please chill. I would never ever EVER do something like that.

Friday

It was a normal trip, nothing out of the ordinary. He had gone into the room with all the acoustic guitars, as those are some of his favourites. There were some keyboards strewn about the room, only one or two though. His attention was drawn to one of the corners when he heard the sound of a beautiful guitar.

Holding the guitar was one of the workers, a handsome teenager, about 17 or 18 at the most. He had short, messy brown hair, the clearest tan skin, and the bluest eyes Keith had ever seen. He even noticed a few freckles dusted along the teen's cheeks and over the bridge of his nose.

Keith looked at the name tag that was pinned to the other boy’s blue and green flannel. Lance was his name. His fingers had moved in an almost expert way that made Keith weak. He knew he had heard the song Lance was playing, but he couldn't put his finger on what song it was. Keith decided to look away, he didn't want to seem like a creep after all.

The pale boy decided to look at a few of the guitars, while he listened to the other boy play. He made the occasional glance at Lance, hell, he could barely keep his eyes off the boy. At one point, Keith had made accidental eye contact with Lance. The tan boy flashed a smile that made Keith's stomach flip.

“Heya, the name’s Lance,” said the one in blue, sending another smile. Keith could feel heat rising to his cheeks, that smile was going to be the death of him.

“Well I mean, I kinda figured. It's pinned on your shirt,” Keith could feel his face quirk up into a smile. He heard the brunet mumble “shit” and let out a soft chuckle. “I'm Keith. Nice to meet you, Lance.”

“Well, Keith. It's nice to meet you too!” Lance had a level of enthusiasm that Keith could never understand. His very smile had brightened up the entire room. Keith felt his stomach flip again, “What brings you here, Keith?”

"Well, the guitars and the keyboards mostly. I usually just come here to look.” Keith folded his arms over his chest. He had to try and bite a grin down, but lost the battle.

“Oh, you play? What do you play?” Lance looked intrigued, he hung the guitar up on the wall behind him.

"Piano mostly, but I also play the guitar sometimes,” Keith shrugged, walking over to the keyboards to look at them.

“Oh! Can you play something? I'd love to hear,” the tan boy grinned. Keith’s stomach flipped again. That grin was definitely going to kill him. No doubt.

"Uh, sure.” Keith turned on the keyboard, and made sure it wasn't at a volume that would make anyone's ears start bleeding. Then he started playing (specifically, he was playing Howl’s Moving Castle Theme), it didn't take long for him to get in the zone. He has been doing this for a while, for sure.

Lance watched Keith play. Keith looked as if he was in his element. He was so focused, yet so relaxed. It was almost as if he was on another plane of existence. It was just Keith and the keyboard. His tongue was peeking through his lips, which were pressed together in a focused manner.

"How long have you been playing the keyboard?” Lance was mostly focused on Keith's face, hell. If anyone walked in, he'd probably be too distracted to interact.

“Mm. I'd say about seven years? I have one at home, but it's not the greatest,” Keith managed to keep playing. It was muscle memory at this point. “How long have you been playing the guitar?”

“Since I was really young. I grew up playing,” Lance smiled a bit. “I used to play with my siblings all the time, especially my older sister.”

Keith finished playing at this point, he looked up at Lance. “You have siblings?”  
Lance nodded, “Mmhm! A lot of ‘em. What about you? Got any siblings yourself, Keef?” Lance questioned, resting his elbow on his thigh and his chin in his hand.

Keith shrugged, “I've got an adopted older brother. He works at the same place I do.”

Lance grinned and grabbed a ukulele from behind him. He casually began picking at the strings, it was such a natural movement. “Is he as musically talented as you are?”

Keith could feel himself blush. “Mm, he can sing pretty well. I do too, but it's not the greatest.”

“Mm, I don't believe that. You seem like the kinda guy who can sing like a freakin’ angel.” Lance grinned, Keith felt his face get warmer.

“Oh hush, it's not that great, trust me.” He slouched against the back of the chair he was sitting in.

Lance chuckled, setting the ukulele back on the wall, “nope, I can't bring myself to believe that. I've seen your type many times. Your personality practically screams ‘musically talented’.”

Keith died a little bit when Lance had chuckled. That was such a nice sound, he wanted to hear it again. “If you're trying to get me to sing, it's not happening, Lance.”

“Oh come onnnn, I'll sing for you, too! Promise!” Lance chuckled again. It took Keith a bit to notice, but he thought Lance's cheeks looked darker than they were before.

“Mm...I don't think I'm convinced enough yet.” Keith crossed his arms again with a smirk. He was positive Lance's cheeks got even darker.

“Oh come on Keef, I'm sure you have a nice voice. We could sing a song together, then you won't have to sing alone?” Lance smiled a bit, this smile was different than the others. It was sincere, kind. It made Keith really flustered.

“...fine, fine. But I'm not musically recent. Just thought I'd throw that out there.” He bit down a smile. “If you know any Jason Mraz songs, then good.”

“Oh! Then how about Lucky? It's my favourite song that's written by him.” Lance smiled again, sending another wave of fluster over Keith.

“Sure, we can sing that.” Keith shrugged. He watched Lance grab the guitar he was holding before. It was a beautiful, blue guitar, with a smoky black ring around the edges. Keith cleared his throat, “Which part do you wanna sing?”

“I’d be fine with whatever. What about you?”

“Mmm...I'll sing the ‘female’ part. Sound good?”

Lance smiled, “Sounds great.” Keith watched as Lance began to play. The way Lance was strumming made Keith wonder how long he had really been doing this.

Only now did Keith realize that this was the song Lance was playing when he had walked in. Keith's face got a bit warmer as Lance began to sing. The tan boy had the voice of an angel. The pale boy watched the other with wide eyes. Hell, he almost missed his cue, he was so distracted.

Keith couldn't stop himself when he started singing. It was so easy, so natural for him to just harmonize with Lance. The two sounded nice together, Keith could tell.

By the time they had finished, the two of them were blushing furiously. Yet, they were oblivious. Keith looked at the clock, and sighed. “Ah, I gotta go. If I'm late to my job again, I'll definitely be kicked.”

Keith looked back at Lance, who quite frankly looked kind of sad, until he smiled a bit, “I could give you my phone number, then we can chat whenever!”

“Uh, sure. Sounds good.” Keith smiled a little, then watched as Lance wrote down his number. When Lance handed it to Keith, their hands brushed. Lance's hand was so soft. So warm. So perfect. Keith blushed, then sent Lance a text.

“See you some other time, I'm here from two to five on weekdays. Bye Keith!” Lance waved.

“I'll keep that in mind. Later, Lance!” Keith waved back and left. He went to his job at the local pet shelter, he was assigned to take care of the kittens today. Sweet release. He couldn't deal with the dogs again. Keith fed the kittens and played with them in the pen. They were so soft, he could practically melt.  
Keith felt his phone buzz. It was from Lance.

[3:15 pm] Guitar Master : What's up, Keef?

Keith stared at his phone for a moment, before responding.

[3:16 pm] Me : The sky  
[3:16 pm] Guitar Master : asdfhflhdldjglklb that was terrible  
[3:17 pm] Me : Well you better prepare for terrible puns.  
[3:17 pm] Guitar Master : Spare me pls  
[3:18 pm] Me : lol  
[3:19 pm] Me : Wanna see what I do every day?  
[3:20 pm] Guitar Master : :0 Pls  
[3:20 pm] Me : [IMAGE SENT]  
[3:21 pm] Me : *jazz hands*  
[3:22 pm] Guitar Master : THSKDBSJFHS  
[3:22 pm] Guitar Master : SHAKDVSKFWH  
[3:22 pm] Guitar Master : RHEHSKBDSKDBARO  
[3:22 pm] Guitar Master : THEY’RE SO  
[3:22 pm] Guitar Master : CUTE???  
[3:23 pm] Me : yeah, I guess they're adorable. Better than the dogs at least.  
[3:24 pm] Guitar Master : Where do you work I need to adopt 7 of them

Keith chuckled at his phone. Pidge, a short, ginger teenager with nerdy glasses and a green sweatshirt, looked at him. They raised a suspicious eyebrow in question, “Why are you laughing at your phone?”

“Shh, Pidge shh”

“Allura! Keith is actually talking to someone! He's laughing at his phone!”  
Keith glared at Pidge, and jabbed them in the side. “Shut up.”

Allura walked in, a tall, dark skinned woman with beautiful, silvery hair, and bright and friendly blue eyes. “What's this about Keith actually texting someone for once?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Am I missing something? Keith, you never talk to anybody.”

“I don't and I'm not.” Keith mumbled, crossing his arms loosely.

“I saw you laughing at your phone! The kittens saw it too.” Pidge pushed their round glasses up on their nose. “You can't deny it, Kogane. You're talking to someone.”

“Nope. Nope not talking to anyone. You can't pry my phone out of my cold, dead hands.”

“Maybe not, but I can certainly hack you.” Pidge grinned slyly. Everyone at the Safe Smiles Shelter knew Pidge could hack into the Pentagon given a pipe cleaner, a flip phone, and upwards of thirty minutes. “So spill! Before I hack your ass.”

“...Fine! Fine, I made a friend at the music store.” When Pidge raised an eyebrow, Keith groaned. “His name is Lance. He's really cu-cool, I-I mean cool.” Keith crossed his arms tighter. “I sent him a picture of the kittens and he said he would adopt seven, which I seriously doubt.”

Allura and Pidge exchanged glances. Pidge texted Hunk and Shiro, telling them to “get their asses in the kitten haven.”

“I don't see why this is such a big deal. You definitely didn't have to call my brother and Hunk in.” Keith picked up a kitten and began scratching behind it's ears.

“Keith has a cruuuush~,” Pidge cooed with a sly smile. “C’mon Keith!! Tell us more about him.” they said, as Shiro and Hunk walked in. Shiro was a soft, yet buff man, with a prosthetic right arm, a scar across his nose, and a streak of white hair that made you wonder what the hell happened to him. Hunk was a heavier guy, with darker skin, and a big smile. His hair brunette and a bit on the longer side.

Keith glared at Pidge. He is so going to draw on their face when they fall asleep on the couch. “His name is Lance, he has nice freckles, tan skin, and he has blue eyes. Also, he has a really nice singing voice.”

Hunk’s eyes went wide, “Wait, the Lance that works at the music store just up the road?”

Keith raised an eyebrow, setting the kitten down. “...yeah, why?”

Hunk practically squealed, “He's my roommate! Holy quiznak, this is great!”

“He's your roommate?!” Keith looked at Hunk with a slightly red face.

“Yeah! He always talked about a cute boy who goes into the acoustics room. And I always thought that it was you but I was never sure!”

“He's talked about me…?” Keith felt his face get warmer. Keith's phone buzzed again.

[3:36 pm] Guitar Master : Okay but seriously, where do you work? I really want to adopt that russian blue.  
[3:37 pm] Me : Safe Smiles Shelter. I could show you more of the kittens if you'd like?  
[3:39 pm] Guitar Master : Okay 1.) Yes gimme more kitten pictures. 2.) hoLY SHIT MY ROOMMATE WORKS THERE???  
[3:40 pm] Me : :0 he already told me lol.  
[3:40 pm] Guitar Master : Hunk already told you we're roommates?  
[3:41 pm] Me : ye

“I can't believe it. Keith has a crush on Hunk’s roommate.” Shiro said, crossing his arms.

“It's not a crush!” Keith picked up another kitten.

“Judging by how red your face is? It's definitely a crush.” Hunk smiled smugly.

“Shut. I barely even know him. All I know is that he has lots of siblings, he plays the guitar, and he has a really nice singing voice.” Keith rubbed under the kitten's chin. “NOT a crush.”

The four other workers exchanged glances. Pidge was the one who started laughing, followed by Allura, then Shiro, then Hunk.

Keith grumbled, then started sending pictures of the kittens to Lance.

[3:50 pm] Me : [IMAGE SENT]  
[3:51 pm] Me : [IMAGE SENT]  
[3:52 pm] Me : [IMAGE SENT]  
[3:52 pm] Guitar Master : Oh my g o d they're so cute I think I'm gonna cry  
[3:53 pm] Me : [IMAGE SENT]  
[3:54 pm] Guitar Master : :0 I see a keef in the corner!!  
[3:55 pm] Me : Yeah, that's my favourite kitten. Her name is Red, she's a lil shit.  
[3:56 pm] Guitar Master : She looks like an angel, also how dare you name her something as boring as “red”. Why not something like “Beyoncé Junior”?  
[3:57 pm] Me : because my brother named her.  
[3:57 pm] Guitar Master : >:(

Keith found himself smiling at his phone. Pidge snorted, “Look at how oblivious he is.” They shook their head. “How can one boy be so oblivious.”

[3:58 pm] Me : tbh I think I might adopt her. She can be a real piece of work, and since I don't go to school anymore, I'll be able to take care of her.  
[3:59 pm] Guitar Master : You'd be a great Cat Mom™, in fact, that's your contact name now. I'm gonna change it from “Keef” to “Cat Mom™”  
[4:00 pm] Me : I feel insulted??? Rude.  
[4:00 pm] Guitar Master : Succ it up cat mom  
[4:01 pm] Me : >:(  
[4:01 pm] Me : Had it not been for the laws of this land, i would fight u where u stand.  
[4:03 pm] Guitar Master : D: Dun fite me, I'm a fragile boi  
[4:04 pm] Me : mwahahaha

Keith locked his phone and stuffed it in his pocket. His coworkers were grinning at him. “....What?”

“You're so clueless.” Pidge snorted.


	2. Tiny Cowboy hats and Small Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance have some fun in the pet store, but it causes Lance to forget an important event.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOO FINALLY GOT AROUND TO FINISHING CHAPTER 2
> 
> If you wanna draw stuff for it!! Go ahead!!! Tag me in it on tumblr!!! @Xephyr-does-shit or @all-klanced-up

Saturday (part 1)

Keith woke up to the sound of several buzzes. He rubbed his tired eyes, and looked at his phone, wincing at the bright screen.

 

[8:01 am] Guitar Master : KEITH

[8:01 am] Guitar Master : KEOTH

[8:01 am] Guitar Master : KEIITH

[8:01 am] Guitar Master : KKKKEIT

[8:02 am] Guitar Master : KEEF

[8:02 am] Guitar Master : QUICHE

[8:02 am] Guitar Master : KEIG F

[8:02 am] Guitar Master : KEEITG

[8:03 am] Guitar Master : KEINDB SNFBD

[8:03 am] Guitar Master : KKKKNDEBDHDHFV

[8:03 am] Guitar Master : FKEHFJBD

[8:05 am] Me : What the fuck Lance

[8:05 am] Guitar Master : UR ALIVE

[8:05 am] Guitar Master : Also, Hunk told me that you're going to be late if you don't get your ass over there in twenty minutes

[8:06 am] Me : SHIT

 

Keith jumped out of bed, combed his hair, and made himself look presentable. He sprinted out of his tiny apartment and hopped on his motorcycle. Keith liked the feeling of the wind blowing around him, the way it sounded, everything about going fast. The adrenaline was his favorite part. Keith managed to get to work on time.

“Morning Keith.” Hunk smiled. How he had this much energy this early, Keith would never understand. “You're going to be taking care of the kittens again today.”

“Mm...good…” Keith rubbed his eyes and went over to the kitten pen. As he was walking, he heard the front door jingle.

“Hey, Lance.” he heard Hunk say. Keith walked slightly faster, and sat in the kitten pen. He fed them, gave them water, and started playing with them.

“Hey guys...how are all of you doing?” Keith picked up red, she fell asleep on his arm. “Did you all sleep okay?” All of the kittens curled up either on or around him. He felt blessed.

“Wow, you're really good with those guys aren't you?” The sound of Lance's voice had made Keith jump. That woke Red up, she started mewling angrily at Keith.

“Ah, sorry Red,” he rubbed under her chin. “Uh, yeah. Just a cat person I guess.” Keith managed to calm Red, to the point where she fell asleep once more. “You can come into the pen and play with them if you'd like. Just make sure you clean your hands first.”

Lance practically squealed, he washed his hands, then he carefully climbed into the pen. The russian blue kitten immediately trotted over and rubbed her face against the back of his hand once he sat. “Oh my god...they're so tiny and soft…”

“Mmhm, Blue is really friendly. She likes pretty much everyone.” Keith looked at Lance, “You okay? You look like you're about to cry.” Keith chuckled a bit when Lance nodded. Lance had gently taken the russian blue up in his arms.

Hunk and Pidge were watching, in an area where they weren't seen. Pidge, who had a permanent marker mustache and a goatee, adjusted their glasses, smiling smugly. “Those two are unbelievably oblivious.”

“Definitely. Both of those idiots are really oblivious.” Hunk rolled his eyes. He rubbed his forehead. Pidge snickered.

Lance cradled the kitten, Keith smiled. “She likes to be scratched behind her ears.” He watched as Lance gently scratched behind the kitten’s ear. The kitten began to purr. Lance nearly started crying.

“Oh my god she's purring...Keith I think I might cry.” Lance couldn't help it. She was too cute.

Keith chuckled, setting Red down. “She looks really happy. If you're really lucky, she might fall asleep in your arms.”

Pidge snapped a picture of the two. Hunk high fived them. “Blackmail purposes, I'm assuming?”

“You know it.”

Keith didn't notice it until now, but Lance was sitting unnecessarily close. Of course, he didn't mind that, but he also didn't expect it. When Blue fell asleep in Lance's arms, he took a selfie. He made Keith join in.

He didn't mind it. Hunk decided to walk in. “So, Lance, it looks like you like Blue. Wanna adopt her? She turns 10 weeks old tomorrow, so she's up for adoption.”

Lance gave Hunk a look, “please Hunk, I’m in love with this tiny kitten.” Lance held the kitten so tenderly, he was practically on the verge of tears.

“I'll go talk to Allura, then. You two dorks have fun.” Hunk grinned smugly at Lance, Lance and Keith had matching glares. Glares that screamed “oh my gOD, stop.”

Keith managed to hide his face, Lance couldn't though. As Hunk left, Lance called out “Tell Shay your feelings you weeb!”

“Oh, you ass!” Hunk laughed. Lance grumbled. He continued to pet the tiny kitten in his arms.

“She's so cuddly, Keith. I think it's true love. Destiny. It's too bad she has a generic name like ‘Blue.’” Lance grinned at Keith. “Guess I’ll just call her Azul.” He scratched behind the kitten’s ears again. The kitten purred.

Keith chuckled, “Fair enough.” He relaxed and started to pet Red. “You’re going to need a lot of stuff to be able to take care of her. I could help you shop for stuff if you like.”

Lance's eyes widened a tiny bit, “yeah, that sounds...nice.” He smiled. Damnit, that smile was going to kill Keith. Keith couldn’t help but smile back.

Keith pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’m going to text Shiro, that way he knows where I’m going.”

 

[8:45 am] Me : shiro

[8:45 am] Me : shoto

[8:45 am] Me : Shir

[8:45 am] Me : Shiro-GONE

[8:45 am] Me : Takashiiiiiiii

[8:45 am] Me : TA K A S H I

[8:46 am] Brogane : W H A T

[8:47 am] Me : Lance is gonna adopt Bluuuue and he needs shit like food and kitty litter. Is it okay if I take him to the pet store to get any essentials?

[8:49 am] Brogane : sure, I’ll let Allura know.

[8:49 am] Me : ahdcaberhjdkrtbvherba thank

 

“Shiro says he’ll tell Allura. That means we can go!” Keith grinned. He stood up after setting Red down. “You’re gonna need to leave Blue here though.”

“Aww, okay.” Lance set the tiny kitten down, and stood up. “Where in particular are you going to take me?”

Keith just grinned. “Just follow me. There’s one a few blocks over, it’ll take thirty to forty five minutes if we walk, but I have a better solution.” He climbed out of the kitten pen, Lance followed. Keith led Lance outside, and into the small alley next to the shelter. “This is my pride and joy!”

Lance stared at the motorcycle, then looked at Keith with stars in his eyes. “Holy shit, I didn’t know you had a motorcycle!”

“Ah, yeah I have a motorcycle. I mean--that’s kinda obvious but--anyways, I have an extra helmet you can borrow.” Keith handed a helmet to Lance. Lance pulled it on as Keith got on the motorcycle. “You’re going to have to hold on tight, don’t want you falling after all.”

Oh. _O h._ Lance had to take a moment to accept this. Damnit, he was extremely flustered. He blinked at Keith, before sputtering out an “okay.” Lance managed to compose himself, before sitting behind Keith and wrapping his arms around his waist.

Keith ended up getting flustered himself, but made sure lance was safe nonetheless. After he made sure Lance would be safe, Keith released the kickstand and began the ride to the pet store. He felt Lance’s arms tighten a bit when he started, and heard Lance let out a few soft, scared noises. After a while, though, he heard Lance laughing. Full heartedly and full of excitement and happiness. Keith almost cried, that was definitely a noise he wanted to hear again, it was so nice. Keith decided to take the long way to the pet store, all so he could continue listening to Lance’s laughs and whoops of joy.

Eventually, Keith had to stop at the pet store, much to his disatisfaction. Lance held on for a second longer than he really had to, before letting go. The two got off the motorcycle and went inside. Inside, Keith immediately grabbed a basket. “Where to first, Lance?”

Lance tapped his chin. “I dunno, where do you suggest we go first?” He placed a hand on his hip, smiling a bit at Keith. That caused Keith to blush. Curse those blue eyes.

“Uh--we could go look at the food…I mean, food is kind of important.” Keith rubbed at the back of his neck, doing his best to look at everything but Lance's eyes. Truth is, his best wasn't enough. He ended up looking at Lance's eyes again. “Kittens need food...to...survive…” Keith ended up sounding unbearably awkward.

Lance raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “Are you sure? Last I checked, they needed rocks to survive.” That pulled a laugh from Keith. Lance's sarcastic humor was certainly something. “Where's the kitty food at, Keithy-Kat?”

Keith blinked a few times, he had forgotten why they had been there for the time being. “Oh--right, cat food. It’s this way, grab a cart and follow me.” Keith began to walk towards the food aisle, trying to push his growing blush down.

Lance barely had time to react. He ended up having to look for Keith once he got to the food aisle with the cart. It took a few seconds, but Keith was found. “So what kinda kitty food would you recommend for bebe Azul?”

Keith tapped at his chin a bit. “We always feed them Wellness brand kitten food. Never get Blue Buffalo, the food can mold faster than the kitten can eat it.” He rubbed at his arm, a bit awkwardly in all honesty. It was totally cute and it made Lance smile like a total dork.

“Sounds great,” Lance grabbed a bag and tossed it into the cart. “Any toys you’d recommend?” he asked, looking once more into those stunning violet eyes. “Because, if you think that I'm not going to spoil Azul, then you'd be dead wrong.”

Keith chuckled at Lance’s dorky nature. Lance was...so endearing. Keith loved it. “There's some toys that I know blue doesn't like, namely the bells and anything that moves too quickly, like those electric mice. But other than those, she really really likes those sticks with strings attached to them.”

Lance grinned brightly, excited. “Lead the way, mullet. I haven't been in a pet store since I was, like, nine.” He pushed the cart along as Keith led the way. Occasionally he would crack a joke, or yell out “HEWWO?!”, much to Keith’s complaints. He knew the complaints were futile, as Keith was laughing. It was so cute, Lance nearly fell over.

Keith helped Lance pick out some nice toys, similar to what Blue played with at the shelter. Lance found a tiny cowboy hat, Keith still hasn’t taken it off. It means too much. Just a stupid cowboy hat, but it was from a cute, funny boy. He smiled at his feet. “We can find a collar now-” he was cut off by Lance’s phone ringing.

Lance blinked and looked at his phone. “...Cassie? What the hell, why are they calling?” he answers it, and is greeted by a feminine voice yelling several swears at him in Spanish. “Woah woah woah! Cas! ¡Prima! ¡Por favor calmate! What’s up?”

“¿Qué mierda, Lance? ¡¿Dónde demonios estás?! You were supposed to pick me up and take me to Pidge’s house an hour ago!” the voice yelled. Keith could hear it, and immediately felt guilty for distracting Lance from someone he was obviously related to. “Dios, hombre. How soon can you get your ass over here?”

“Uhhhh, ¿No estoy seguro? I’m sorry Cassie, I’m at the pet store getting a cat right now...Dios, I’m so sorry, I should’ve remembered. This is my fault. I’m so sorry.” Lance pushed his hair back, groaning. “I’ll get there as fast as I can, okay?”

“Yeah yeah. Just hurry, ‘kay?” The voice hung up. Lance let out an exasperated huff, and stuffed his phone back in his pocket. Keith looked at him. Lance looked very stressed. It was such a drastic change from the fun, upbeat Lance he was used to, but that was soon washed away when Lance turned back to Keith.

“God, sorry about that. That’s my cousin, Cassie. They’re dating Pidge and I totally fuckin forgot to get them to Pidge’s house,” He gestured to the registers, “Why don’t we check out? I’ll pay.” The two headed for the registers, Lance payed, and smiled at Keith. “Thank you so much for today, I really enjoyed myself. We should hang out again sometime!”

Keith flushed, smiling “Y-Yeah, we should….Oh! Uh, do you need a ride back to the shelter? I can take you there if you want me to...”

Lance grinned brightly, flushing a tiny bit, “Sounds awesome! I drove to the animal shelter, so that works for me.”

“Alright, cool, let’s get out of here.” Keith grabbed a few of the bags, and Lance grabbed the others. They walked out to Keith’s bike, and put all the bags in the basket inside of the seat. Keith tossed a helmet over to Lance, “Here you go.”

Lance smiled at Keith as he pulled the helmet on. Keith didn’t blush. Nope. Definitely did not. Keith got on his bike and gestured for Lance to get on behind him, To which Lance gladly did, wrapping his arms tightly around Keith’s waist. Keith didn’t go even redder when Lance dropped his chin on his shoulder.

They left, driving back to the shelter. Lance laughed just as much this time. Keith loved it. It was such a pretty noise, and he was so glad to be hearing it again. Knowing that Lance had to be somewhere, though, Keith took the short way back to the shelter. This didn’t go unnoticed by Lance, though, as he made a sound of questioning and disappointment as Keith came to a stop. “That was...a lot shorter than before.”

“Took the long way earlier, but seeing as you have somewhere to be…I ended up taking the short way around. Sorry about that, Lance,” he muttered, smiling sheepishly. He released the kickstand and helped Lance off. “We can always go for another ride some other time, I promise.” That comment brought a bright smile to Lance’s face, and Keith knew in that moment that it was completely worth it. He’d had his doubts, but this sold him. “C’mon, I’ll help you get the stuff into your car.”

Lance smiled gratefully, “Thank you, Keith. You’re super sweet,” he said, showing Keith to his car. Keith took one look at the car, and knew that it was Lance’s. It was a powder blue Volkswagen beetle, with a license plate that read “BLUL10N”. Keith snickered, and Lance turned to look at him after unlocking the car, “What? What’s so funny?”

“Oh! Nothing, nothing! You’re just a huge dork, that’s all. Your license plate is super nerdy.” said Keith, chuckling softly. “It’s kinda cute, actually…wait, why are you laughing?”

“Th-The fucking!!! The cowboy hat! Oh my GOD! We forgot to pay for it! I--oh my fucking shit!” Lance stuttered out between laughs and snorts. He tried so hard not to fall over, but it was too funny. He settled for hunching over, “I c-can’t believe we forgot to pay for the fuckin cowboy hat! ¡Dios mío!”

“Lance it’s--oh my god, Lance, please don’t die, you’re a treat to be around! C’mon, take some deep breaths, Lance.” Keith laughed out. He helped Lance with getting all of the cat supplies into the trunk of his car, both of them chuckling all the while. “...I think that’s everything! Uhm, drive safe, Lance!”

Lance smiled at Keith’s remark. Yeah, he blushed a little, but that was okay. “Thank you for everything, Keith. I had an amazing afternoon with you…” God. Keith had never been so far gone, so quickly. That feeling grew more as he felt a soft pair of lips press against his cheek. “I’ll see you around, yeah Keith?”

Keith flushed extra hard, hand gently raising up to his cheek, “Uh--y-yeah! I-I’ll…I’ll see you around, Lance!” he stuttered out, trying his hardest not to smile like an idiot. He watched as Lance got into his car, catching a soft, appreciative smile. He watched as lance turned the ignition, watched as Lance shut his door and start backing out. He leaned against the wall of the shelter, “Oh god…I’ve got it bad...”


	3. I'm Calling you Shit Lord now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Lance drops Cassie off at Pidge's house, Lance chats with Keith. Shit gets memey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY FIUCK HERE IT IS
> 
> IT TOOK AGES BUT I FINALLY MANAGED TO WRITE CHAPTER THREE!!! 
> 
> f you wanna draw stuff for it!! Go ahead!!! Tag me in it on tumblr!!! @Xephyr-does-shit or @all-klanced-up

Saturday (Part 2)

“I’d like to know why you forgot about my date with Pidge.” The voice cuts through Lance’s conscience like a hot knife through styrofoam. It knocks him out of a trance, knocks him back to reality. The voice belongs to his cousin, Cassie. They’re a feminine 15 year old, about 5’6” in height, with long, naturally platinum blonde hair, dyed lavender, that goes down to about their knees. They have eyes that look like sparkly emeralds, Lance’s tan complexion, and visibly soft skin.

Lance looks at his cousin, “I-I’m sorry, what? I got all ADHD there just now, and wasn’t paying attention, to be honest…” He shrinks back a bit, sheepishly. Stupid ADHD, always making him zone out and forget what he was doing or why he was doing it. “Could you repeat that for me, Cas?”

His cousin snickers, pressing their back into their chair. “I said ‘I’d like to know why you forgot about my date with Pidge.’ Seriously, Lance, you don’t usually forget those things.” They cross their arms, looking at Lance with a slightly amused grin. “Did you go on a date or something? That’s usually the only time that ever happens, dude.”

Lance flushes, staring back at the road. “I mean...I don’t think it was a date? It was more like just hanging out with a friend, probably. I don’t even know if he likes me that way, Cas. Even if he does, it’s too early to know for sure. I mean, yesterday was the first time we ever  _ talked _ to each other, y’know? I’d really like to get to know him better though.” 

“And this is that guy who comes into the store all the time, right? The one who works with Hunk?” they ask, taking note of how red Lance’s face is. “Jesus, Lance, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were smitten. You look like a goddamn tomato, dude!”

Lance stops the car. “Ok, here’s your stop, get out and tell Pidge  _ nothing. _ ” 

Cas opens their door and takes off their seatbelt. “No promises, Cabrón. ¡Más tarde, nerd!” They yell as they run off, slinging their large, turquoise backpack over their shoulder. They disappear into the house with a big smile on their face.

Lance huffs out an exasperated sigh, leaning back into his seat. He stays like that for a moment or two, before heading for his house. It’s a fairly short drive, but relaxing nonetheless. He likes driving to the sounds of Beyonce and Shakira, Cassie hates him for it. They like Fall out Boy and Panic! At the Disco better.

He pulls into the driveway, and is immediately bombarded by several tiny children. His nieces and nephew. He steps out of the car and is greeted by excited yells of “Tio Lance is home!!”

He snickers and scoops up the four kids into his arms, “Hi Kaley! And Isabelle! And Chase and Arin too! How are you four?” he asks, ruffling each kids’ hair. The responses are jumbled, all said at once. It’s endearing and loving and Lance adores every moment of it. He puts his hands up gently, “Woah, woah, woah! Slow down, one at a time. I can’t understand four pequeños pollos talking at once!”

“Tio! I lost one of my teeth today!! Mamá said Ratoncito Pérez will show up and take it tonight!! I wonder what his will bring this time…” Speaks the littlest one, Chase, a small boy of the age of four. He bounces excitedly, showing Lance the gap in his teeth. Lance smiles brightly and ruffles his hair.

The next one to speak is Kaley, the oldest. She’s around eight years old. “Tio, Tio! Mamá said I got a hundred percent on my maths test, and that I had the highest score out of all the other students!” She beams, smiling proudly. 

Lance scoops her up happily, “Kaley, I’m so proud of you! ¡Eres una dama tan inteligente! You’re such an intelligent little lady!” he grins, giving her a tight squeeze. She giggles brightly, wrapping her tiny arms around her uncle’s neck. Lance sets her down, ruffling her short brunette hair.

Arin speaks next, a little trans girl of the age of five. “Tio!! Mamá bought me some new dresses today! She said that I was such a beautiful little girl!” she exclaims, making grabby hands at her uncle. He picks her up and swirls her, earning an adorable squeal of pure joy. Arin hugs Lance’s neck, nuzzling her cheek against Lance’s, as a way to say that she does not want to be put down just yet. Lance recognizes the gesture.

“And what about you Isabelle? How was your day?” he asks the shyest one. The seven year old shrugs, rubbing at her arm. He ruffles her hair, “You’re so quiet...do you want to tell me when we get inside? I’ll be able to sign better when Arin’s just on my lap.” 

She nods, perking up a little bit. Lance smiles, heading inside. The kids follow close behind him, like a pack of ducklings following their mom. He sits on the couch with Arin nestled into his shoulder, and the other kids huddled around his legs. He’s in the middle of having a deep conversation with Isabelle, when his phone buzzes. He decides to ignore it for the time being, watching his niece’s excited gestures. He smiles brightly, ruffling her hair. She giggles, leaning against the couch. He decides to use this time to check his phone. 

 

[3:30 pm] Cat Mom :3c : How was driving your cousin to the ultimate gremlin’s house?

 

He smiles, earning a few suspicious looks from his nieces and nephew.

 

[3:41 pm] Me : It was. Hell. Blease send help, Quiche. They kept asking me  _ questions _ like a little shit....

[3:42 pm] Cat Mom :3c : Sounds torturous.

[3:42 pm] Me : It is!! But my nieces and nephew kind of make it worth it.

[3:43 pm] Cat Mom :3c : You’re an uncle??

[3:43 pm] Me : Yep!! I could send some pictures of me and the kiddos if you’d like?

[3:44 pm] Cat Mom :3c : Please do.

 

Lance motions for his nieces and nephew to come closer, “C’mon, niños! Come take a picture with me!” he beckons, holding his phone out. The kids crowd around him, smiling brightly. He takes the picture, getting approval from Arin if it was good or not. She said it was a perfect picture. 

 

[3:50 pm] Me : [IMAGE SENT]

[3:52 pm] Me : the one on the bottom left is Isabelle, the one on the top right is Chase, that’s Arin in my arm, and Kaley on the bottom right.

[3:53 pm] Cat Mom :3c : oh mg godf…….they’re so...cute….Lance I’m gonna die

[3:54 pm] Me : Arin really likes me. I’m her favourite uncle 

[3:54 pm] Me : But I mean. I’m not surprised. I am a thrill to be around

[3:55 pm] Cat Mom :3c : “””””””thrill”””””” 

[3:55 pm] Me : Excuse me, but I could tell you had fun while we were at the pet store!! Don’t you dare put that in quotes you binch

[3:56 pm] Cat Mom :3c : meh, I wouldn’t say I had  _ fun _ :))

[3:56 pm] Me : Oh my  _ god _ I hate you. How could you. We--you--it was a blast!

[3:56 pm] Cat Mom :3c : It was...an experience. 

[3:57 pm] Me : biNCH

[3:57 pm] Cat Mom :3c : I’m only tellin the truth, Guitar Man

[3:58 pm] Me : “””””Truth””””” uh huh. And the truth is that you actually had a blast. I know because you were smiling the whole time. Suck it, Keith, I know the facts.

[3:59 pm] Cat Mom :3c : how do u know I wasn’t smiling at the thought of sweet release

[4:00 pm] Me : Keith-

[4:00 pm] Me : Oh my god, yyou ASS

[4:01 pm] Cat Mom :3c : You’ll never know :))

[4:01 pm] Me : I Hate yiou so muchnfg

 

Arin nudges Lance’s face, groaning softly, “Tioooo, who are you textinggggg? You’ve been texting them for like...a long tiiiime,” she whines, grabbing at his arms. “Is it a cute girl? Or is it a cute boy?”

Lance flushes, diverting his attention somewhere else, “I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about, Arin. I’m always on my phone. Besides, I don’t just text  _ one  _ person…” he mumbled, looking at how many people he’s texted in the past two days, “.....okay maybe I am texting just  _ one _ person, but that doesn’t matter! This person is enjoyable. I like texting with this person.”

Arin pouts for a moment, before curling up on Lance’s lap like she usually does. He pats her hair gently, then grabs his phone and gets back on it.

 

[4:02 pm] Cat Mom :3c : mmmmno you don’t. 

[4:04 pm] Me : damnit. You’re right. Fuck you.

[4:04 pm] Cat Mom :3c : No thanks I’m ace. At least take me to dinner first tho smh :///

[4:07 pm] Cat Mom :3c : …….Lance???

[4:13 pm] Cat Mom :3c : Lance did you die???

 

Lance sits, staring at the message from Keith. It’s making him extremely flustered, he’s blushing. He takes a deep breath, reads the messages again, and then excuses himself to his room, much to his nieces and his nephew’s surprise. Lance shoves his face in a pillow, and screams quietly. After a few minutes of recovery, he manages to respond.

 

[4:27 pm] Me : I am. So sorry. I had a mini stroke

[4:27 pm] Me : But I make my return

[4:28 pm] Cat Mom :3c : Oh welcome back, did you have a good stroke?

[4:28 pm] Me : JFHGDSBGVd

[4:28 pm] Me : KEITH WHYFGBJVDSBYJDS

[4:29 pm] Cat Mom :3c : Nyeh. >:3

[4:30 pm] Me : Alright that’s it, your name is being changed to Shit Lord

[4:31 pm] Shit Lord : NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[4:31 pm] Me : you did this to yourself

[4:31 pm] Me : I’m gonna miss cat mom

[4:32 pm] Me : rest in spaghetti, never forghetti

[4:33 pm] Shit Lord : gkhjmlkfsmjhs t o p

[4:33 pm] Me : No thanks

[4:34 pm] Shit Lord : Oh great, now Shiro’s wondering why I’m giggling at my phone

[4:34 pm] Shit Lord : How could you do this to me

[4:35 pm] Me : Because it’s my job??? C’mon Keith get with the program

[4:36 pm] Shit Lord : I can’t be l i e v e this

[4:36 pm] Shit Lord : Betrayed by my best fuclkfing frien dd

[4:37 pm] Me : It be like that sometimes

[4:37 pm] Shit Lord : I. actually hate you right now oh my go d

[4:37 pm] Me : are you sure? I’m pretty delightful

[4:38 pm] Shit Lord : I’m gonna get Pidge to tell me where you live so I can come down there and beat your ass

 

Lance sets his phone on his bed and tugs off his binder, pulling on a loose t-shirt. He groans softly, dragging his hands down his face. He can’t wait until he’s 18, then he won’t have to wear these stupid binders anymore.

 

[4:43 pm] Me : Oh nno, I’m soooooooooo scared

[4:43 pm] Shit Lord : I think you’re more deserving of the nickname “Shit Lord”

[4:44 pm] Me : hfjgdbDSBVEJRESF EDSUHFVKESVHUS

[4:44 pm] Shit Lord : It’s true!

[4:45 pm] Me : [IMAGE SENT]

[4:46 pm] Me : if you keep making me laugh, I won’t be able to care for my skin tonight, I just wanna wear this face mask, Keitrh

[4:50 pm] Shit Lord : HOLDS ON ILL BE ROGJT BAKC

[4:50 pm] Me : Keith??

 

Lance sat there, waiting for Keith to come back, but by the time he checked again, he was called down for dinner. He decided it would be best to leave his phone on its charger, and he heads down the stairs.


	4. CATastrophe Strikes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith finally replies, and asks Lance to hang out. They get along well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUCKIN HOLY SHIT WO W I FINALLY GOT OFF MY ASS AND KICKED WRITERS BLOCK IN THE FACE!!! ENJOY!!!!\
> 
> If you wanna draw stuff for it!! Go ahead!!! Tag me in it on tumblr!!! @Xephyr-does-shit or @all-klanced-up

Sunday

 

Keith sits in his room, early in the morning, staring at his phone. He still hasn’t responded to Lance, and it makes him feel absolutely horrid. He really didn’t know what to say, the photo had sent him into such shock that he had panicked and thrown his phone halfway across the room. He groans, dragging his hands down his face, “Hoo, okay. What the hell am I going to say?”

His door opens, and Shiro steps in, “What do you mean by that, edge bomb?” he asks, sitting next to Keith. Of course Shiro would break into his apartment a day after he died. (He has a key. It’s not breaking and entering no matter how much Keith likes to call it that.)

Keith bobs his leg, smacking his phone against his hand. He avoids eye contact, “I don’t know...Lance sent me a picture last night and he just…he looked so  _ nice _ , a-and I panicked, and I haven’t answered him since, a-and I don’t know what to do!” he says, voice breaking as he speaks. It’s not something he’s used to. Not used to having these kinds of reactions to pictures. 

Shiro chuckles, shaking his head, “Just tell him the truth. I’m sure he wouldn’t think badly of it.”  
Keith grumbles, and shakes the phone. “Fine…” he mutters, nervously staring at the screen. He shakily begins writing a reply.

 

[6:09 am] Me : i am. Very sorry for dying? I uhhhhhhhh threw my phone?

 

***

 

It takes almost four hours for Keith to get a response. Every moment is a living hell for him, the wait has him anxious. When his phone finally dings, he practically dives for it.

 

[9:59 am] Pretty Boy : Why on earth would you throw your phone for no reason

[9:59 am] Me : ...because it’s fun to throw them?

[10:00 am] Pretty Boy : ...uh huh. Well, I won’t push you for that info.

[10:00 am] Pretty Boy : I have nothing to do today, so if you wanna hang out. Just give me the word.

[10:01 am] Me : wait, really?

[10:01 am] Pretty Boy : yeh. We could hang out at my house, or your house if you’d prefer.   
[10:02 am] Me : How about my house?   
[10:02 am] Pretty Boy : Sounds good to me. Hmu with your address   
  


***

 

It’s around eleven in the morning when Lance shows up. Keith answers the door to the apartment when he hears the knock. “Hi, Lance. Come in, make yourself comfortable,” Keith says, gesturing for Lance to come in. Lance does, of course, and looks around with gentle curiosity. It’s pretty freakin’ cute, Keith can admit. He looks at Lance, “Can I get you something to drink? We’ve got lots of soda and stuff like that.”  
Lance shrugs, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Surprise me, I love most sodas,” he says, half distracted. Keith notices the soft grin on Lance’s face, and tries his best not to blush like an idiot. Of course, that changes when Lance says, “I trust you.”

He stammers for a few seconds, “U-Uh, r-r-right. Yeah. Okay, I’ll-” bumps into a wall, “-fuck--I’LL GO GET YOU THAT SODA!” and he runs off into the kitchen. He drags his hands down his face, groaning when he gets in. It’s burning and he might explode, “hoooooly shit. God, I’m such a mess…Oooookay, let’s see.”

Lance feels awkward as Keith gets a drink, he usually does when he visits someone’s house for the first time. The surroundings are new and there’s no telling what’s off limits and what’s acceptable. He sits at the table he sees, knowing that’d be a safe bet. Keith comes back in carrying two vanilla cokes, handing one to Lance. Lance smiles gratefully, “Thanks, Keith.”

Keith nods softly, sitting at the chair next to Lance. He opens his can, sipping from it, “Yeah, man, no problem.” 

They sit like that in surprisingly comfortable silence, each enjoying the other’s presence as Lance acclimates to his surroundings. Lance is the one who breaks that silence.

“Your baby photos are  _ absolutely _ adorable, Keith.”

Keith stammers, “Wh--baby photos?? Where????”

Lance gestures to the wall behind Keith, “ _ Those _ baby photos. The ones that have a cute baby that I’m positive aren’t your brother because he’s holding you.”

Keith flushes and turns around, “oh, fuck, that’s right. Uhh, ignore the name in the corner, please.”

Lance just shrugs, “Okay. But that has nothing to do with the fact that you were such an adorable baby. Look at your squishy little cheeks!”

“Laaaaaaaaaance-”

“Whaaaaat? Look at you! You’re like a teeny tiny lil marshmallow baby!”

“Laaaance!!”

Lance laughs, covering his mouth as he laughs, “Alright, alright, but don’t get mad if Hunk gets pictures of it and says the same thing!”

Keith throws his chair cushion at Lance, earning a sputter and a “you win” from him.

 

***

 

As far as Keith knows, Lance is bi. Or, at least he’s  _ pretty sure _ he’s bi. It’s really hard to tell, he’s not good at reading people. They’re both sitting on the couch, watching corny eighties cartoons and giggling. Lance keeps pointing out things that even  _ he _ wouldn’t do, and he’s a self proclaimed extra person. It’s just like how Keith imagined just  _ hanging out _ with this spectacular boy would be like. They’re laughing, occasionally throwing pillows at each other, and generally just having a good time. A great time, even. 

Lance looks at Keith with a stupid grin, “We should watch a movie.”

“That’s soooo specific, Lance. It’s almost as if I am, what, a mind reader or something?”

“We should watch a  _ really terrible  _ movie. Like Sharknado.”

Keith laughs, “Oh my god, marry me right now, Shiro  _ hates  _ terrible movies! I never get to watch them! Marry me and we can watch bad movies together and also get tax benefits.”

Lance snorts, throwing his hand up to his mouth as soon as it happens. But of course, soon isn’t quick enough, because Keith _ definitely  _ heard that, judging by the smug look on his face. Lance points an accusatory finger at Keith, “Don’t you dare-”

“OHHHH my  _ GOOOOOOOD!!! _ ”

“KEITH-”

“You fucking snorted!!”

“ _ KEITH I SWEAR-” _

“I can’t wait until everyone at work hears this, oh my god. What the fuck.”

“I’m going to fuckin’ kermit sewer slide.”

“Nahhhh, you’re too good to die,” Keith says, in a surprisingly genuine tone. 

Lance raises his finger, as if to say something, but puts it down, and instead settles for throwing a pillow at him. He rolls his eyes when Keith makes gurgling noises, “Just put a movie in, asshole.”

Keith calms his laughter down, accepting defeat, “Alright, alright, fine. But my laptop can’t connect to the TV, so we’re gonna have to watch my worst ones on that. Unless you wanna pick from the DVD pile.”

Lance thinks on it, and decides to go with the DVDs. He digs through them, searching for ones he  _ knows  _ have absolutely terrible ratings. He pulls out Sharknado in the end. “Because it’s a classic,” he says. “Because it’s sharks flyin through the fuckin sky,” he says. 

Keith can’t argue with that, and sets the disc in the dvd player. He sits himself on the couch next to Lance, and presses play on the remote.

 

***

 

They’re about halfway through the movie when Keith gets a text. He checks his phone really quick to see who it’s from. 

 

[6:33 pm] Hunkie Boye : [MESSAGE RECEIVED]

 

Keith blinks, Hunk almost never texts him outside of work days. He opens his messaging app and looks at it, curious as to what’s going on.

 

[6:33 pm] Hunkie Boye : PLEASE GET TO THE SHELTER AS FAST AS YOU CAN

[6:34 pm] Me : What’s going on, Hunk??

[6:34 pm] Hunkie Boye : WE JUST GOT A CALL FOR A CODE PURPLE

 

Keith gasps, earning Lance’s attention.

“Wait, Keith, what’s wrong??”

“I...I really need to get to the shelter, i-it’s a code purple.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means that someone’s found like...a hoarder situation and there are more cats than Allura and Hunk can manage. I-I’m so sorry, I need to-”

“I can help,” Lance cuts in, “Really, it sounds like it’s a big problem.”

Keith looks up at Lance, nervous, “A-Are you sure?”

“Of course I am, c’mon. Ask where the address is.”

 

[6:35 pm] Me : what’s the address? Lance and I are on our way.

[6:35 pm] Hunkie Boye : 39982 dreamcatcher way. Hurry!

 

Keith stands up, scrambling to tug his jacket on, “Alright, got the address. I’m gonna take my motorcycle because it’s faster, care to join?”

Lance nods hard, so hard he feels like his head is going to fall off. He follows Keith outside, hopping on behind him and pulling his arms tight around Keith’s waist after he tugs a helmet on. The motorcycle starts, and it goes so fast Lance worries. He squeezes, shutting his eyes tight and pressing against Keith.

Keith follows the directions his phone gives him, listening through headphones under his helmet. He fears fast isn’t fast enough, but they get there fairly quickly, much to Hunk’s relief. 

“Oh, thank god you two are here. There’s so many--a-and they’re so  _ fast _ .”

Lance holds his friend by his shoulders, “Shh, calm down. We can get through this together. How many are there?”

“More than I can count!” Hunk says, grabbing both Lance and Keith by the wrists to drag them inside, “See? There’s-- _ cats _ , a-and  _ dogs _ , and neither of us know what to do!”

Keith stumbles, trying not to step on any animals, “Jesus, who would even  _ do _ something like this?!”

Lance panics a bit, scared he might fall and land on an animal, “Only a monster! These poor babies!”

 

***

 

It takes them until almost one in the morning to get all of the animals out. It was exhausting and strenuous, but they manage. Lance almost falls asleep on the way back, much to Keith’s fear. 

The two of them stumble into Keith’s apartment, slumping on the couch.

“Augh,” Lance complains, “I’ve never been so tired in my whole  _ life _ …”

“Tell me about it,” Keith says with a yawn, “That’s not even the most animals I’ve ever seen in a code purple.”

Lance turns his head to look at Keith, eyes growing heavy, “How do you do it…?”

“Hmm?”

“Do... _ that! _ I would lose hope so quickly...and you’ve seen worse situations??” he yawns, “I’m so exhausted…”

Keith inspects Lance’s face for a moment, “Maybe you shouldn’t drive back to your dorm.”

“Wh...Huh?”

“It wouldn’t be safe. You were dozing off during the ride back, even with all the noise.”

Lance’s cheeks flush a little, “I was warm…and already tired...those don’t mix well with me, it’s a cure for my insomnia. I gotta...mm...can I stay on your couch for tonight?”

Keith’s heart pounds a bit at the question, “Uh--y-yeah, sure. I have some blankets you can borrow…”

“Thanks….” Lance says with a drowsy smile that makes Keith’s heart pound. He fishes for his phone, “I gotta...tell Hunk I’m not comin’ home t’night…”

Keith catches a glimpse of Lance’s lock screen, and if everything else didn’t already make his heart explode? That definitely did. It’s the selfie Lance made him take with the kittens. He gets up to cool off and get Lance a blanket, dragging his hands down his face again. He’s only really known Lance for two days, but it already feels like he’s known Lance forever. His heart aches. 

When he comes back, Lance is lying down on the couch, face pressed into the old pillows he stole from Shiro when he got his own apartment. He smiles soft, draping the blanket over him. Lance immediately smiles, mumbling a soft “thank you” that Keith worries he’ll never hear again, and completely dozes off. Keith sits awake thinking for almost the rest of the night.

 

***

Monday

 

Lance wakes up in a daze. Last night was kind of blurry, but he remembers bits and pieces. He remembers the code purple, saving the animals and-- _ oh.  _ He blushes. He’s wrapped up in a blanket that smells like Keith. He has his face stuffed in a pillow that  _ smells _ like  _ Keith _ . He can  _ recognize that they smell like Keith. _ He’s in Keith’s apartment. He stayed the night at Keith’s apartment. And Keith didn’t say anything to him when he took his binder off before the animal situation. What the fuck. He sits up and rubs at his sore back, groaning.

Keith looks up from where he’s sitting at the table, “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

Lance looks behind himself and sees Keith. Keith, wearing only a t-shirt and boxers. He blushes.  _ Oh. He’s really pretty.  _ Lance drags his face down his face, “Mmm…’time’sit?” he slurs. He’s never felt this well rested before, it’s kind of odd.

Keith sips from his cup of what seems to be coffee, “Nine in the morning. How’d you sleep?”

Lance doesn’t say anything other than an “I slept fine,” which makes him feel like a dirty liar. “What about you?”

Keith shrugs, “I slept alright.” Lance doesn’t believe it. Keith gets up and offers to make him some coffee, “How do you like yours?”

Lance thinks for a moment, “Uhm...I like mine with milk and sugar mostly.”

“Anything extra on it? I’ve got whipped cream, caramel, chocolate sauce, you name it.”

“Why’s that?”

“I practice with different kinds of coffee in my free time. It’s only a hobby, though. I love my job at the shelter. Everyone there likes my drinks, too. I bring ‘em in every so often.”

“Oh, that’s...that’s really sweet of you.”

“Eh, I usually just make too much coffee and give the rest to them. Do you want anything on it or not?”

“Oh, whipped cream please…”

“On it.” 

And with that, Lance is alone. Keith disappears into an archway, presumably to his kitchen. Lance wonders what it must be like to live alone. He doesn’t like being alone, it freaks him out. It’s why he got an apartment with Hunk when he graduated high school, why he goes to stay the night at his family’s house every weekend. Yet, Keith’s been living like this for a while, so he says. Alone in a tiny apartment, where it’s quiet and all you hear is the occasional neighbour yelling or stomping around. Lance is knocked out of his thoughts when Keith comes back with what smells like a mocha. It’s in a blue mug, with whipped cream swirled on top, and rainbow sprinkles on top of  _ that _ . Lance looks shocked, “Oh my god. I can’t drink this, it’s so pretty.”

Keith rolls his eyes and thrusts the mug into Lance’s hands, “Just drink it. It’s real cold out this morning. Do you have work today?”

Lance shakes his head, “No, closed for the holidays. I’m on vacation for three weeks. Classes are off until the twentieth of January, too.”

“Cool, cool. D’ya think you can help out with the animals from the hoarding situation last night?”

“Sure,” Lance says, bringing the mug up to his lips and taking a sip. It’s probably one of the best mochas he’s ever had, sending feelings of warmth throughout his body. He sighs, content. He really doesn’t expect this to be such a relaxing moment, but with just Keith there, the loneliness isn’t so bad. He watches as Keith sits next to him, “Hiya.”

“Hi,” Keith replies with a smile, “I believe we have a movie that we were supposed to finish?”

“Don’t you have work?”

“Not until two in the afternoon.”

“Oh. Then yeah, I think we  _ do _ have a movie to finish,” Lance says with a cheeky grin. 

“Shall we then?” Keith asks, grabbing for the remote.  
“I think we shall!”

 

***   
  


They watch terrible movies until about noon, help out with the cats for the rest of the day, and well into the night. Lance doesn’t stay over that night, even if he really wants to. He promises he’ll hang out over Christmas, after he celebrates with his family.


	5. Snowed In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas, and Lance heads to Keith's apartment, just like he promised. A blizzard hits, and they're snowed in together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW TWO FIC UPDATES IN QUICK SUCCESSION??? WHAAAAT!!!! I got really fuckin inspired out of nowhere lemme tELL YA.  
> If you wanna draw stuff for it!! Go ahead!!! Tag me in it on tumblr!!! @Xephyr-does-shit or @all-klanced-up

Christmas Day

 

Lance spends most of his day with his family, talking and gushing about everything that’s been happening for the past week and a half. He stays with them until four in the evening, when he leaves. He promised Keith he would stay for Christmas and damnit if he wasn’t a man of his word, then he was just super whipped for Keith. 

After a stop to get a drink at Taco Bell, he may or may not have ended up staying inside for a while. He doesn’t mean to, he just….got hungry. And got a snack. And maybe just sat in the warmth for twenty minutes. When he remembers he’s supposed to be hanging out with Keith. Fuck. He rushes out to his car, skidding on the icy ground. He unlocks, gets in buckles up.

He revs his engine….and it doesn’t start. Shit. He tries again, it doesn’t work. He checks the dials behind the wheel and swears. Nothing. He exits his car, checking under the hood. He finds out his battery is dead, and curses to himself. He’s alone in a Taco Bell parking lot, with nothing but a relatively thin jacket and his own body heat, which isn’t much to begin with. And there’s snow starting to fall. Great.

 

[4:30 pm] Me : Keith

[4:30 pm] Me : I’m do fuckign dorty

[4:31 pm] Dream Boy : ?? What do you mean?

[4:32 pm] Me : mt battreyy dief ans i’n stuvk in a tavobel l parkifn kot

[4:33 pm] Dream Boy : Your car’s battery died?? Fuck--give me your location, I’m coming to get you.

[4:34 pm] Me : [LOCATION SHARED]

[4:34 pm] Me : ita so cpld

[4:34 pm] Dream Boy : Hang in there, Lance! I’m on my way

 

Keith gets there in twenty minutes tops with Shiro driving behind him in his car, (which is affectionately named “The Black Lion”, what the fuck Shiro.) he skids to a halt, flicking the break and rushing over to Lance. He throws his arms tightly around Lance, trying to keep him warm. He can feel the tall boy shivering, and he hates it. 

Lance breaks, crying softly into Keith’s shoulder. “I-I-I’m s-s-s-so so-o-orry…I-I-I r-ruined e-e-everything!”

Keith hushes him, petting his hair softly, “Shhhh, you didn’t ruin anything. It’s just a little delayed, that’s all.”

“Th-Thank y-you…”

“Hey, it’s what friends are for, right? They’re always there to help when you need it most. C’mon, I have some hot cocoa in the back of Shiro’s car, we can sit in the back until your car starts.”

“O-O-Okay,” Lance stammers, missing the feeling of warmth on his front when Keith pulls away a bit. That warmth comes back when they sit in Shiro’s car, the heaters are on, and Keith is hugging him again, and the hot cocoa is so warm. Feeling in his fingers and toes comes back, and he slowly stops shivering. The snow that stuck to his eyelashes, hair, and clothes starts melting, making him cold again. He presses into Keith.

What was Keith to him, really? They were so close, but he didn’t feel like a friend. He felt like more. He felt like something Lance couldn’t describe, but he pushed that question down whenever he asked himself. It’s now that he really accepts that Keith is...a crush at the least. Someone who he has romantic interest in. A stupid dumb crush that his pining ass can’t control. He can push through it. He’s not going to fuck up another relationship by….by-

His car starts up, and he hears Keith chuckle excitedly. He feels it, too. Keith’s arms leave his body, “Haha! Nice, that should last until my place.”

Lance smiles, although it is kind of wavering because he’s so cold, “Yayy…”

 

***

 

Just as Keith predicted, Lance’s car makes it. They both flop on the couch, warming up thanks to the heaters of the apartment. Keith sighs, looking at Lance with a dumb smile, “Heaters….sweet, sweet heaters. How are you feeling now?”

Lance closes his eyes with a soft smile, “Better,” he mutters. He opens his eyes after a few seconds, and gets up, “I’ll be right back, gotta get something from my car.”

Keith gets up as well, “I have to get something from my room, actually,” and heads into what Lance can only assume is his room.

He exits the apartment to get to his car, thinking about the possible ways Keith’s room looks. They’ve been hanging out consistently for almost two weeks, so he fears it might be too soon. He digs out a somewhat small package wrapped neatly and lovingly in pastel blue wrapping paper, and takes it inside. Keith comes out of his room with a package almost as big as his torso that’s wrapped in red paper. Obviously he had some trouble with it, because it’s kind of messy. Lance finds it endearing. They sit together on the couch once more, facing each other as they exchange gifts.

“I didn’t really know what to get you, because I’m terrible at gifts, but...I wanted to get you something that would remind you how important you are to me,” Keith says as Lance enthusiastically tears through the paper. 

Inside is a lot of things. A t-shirt that says “I’m too tired for this,” a mug with the triforce crest on it, a pair of warm and fuzzy socks, a framed picture of them laughing, and-- ”Oh my god…” 

It’s a key. A key to Keith’s apartment. On it is etched “Lance, an Honorary Kogane.” It makes Lance laugh. And cry. He throws his arms around Keith, quick and tight. “You’re such a nerd, you know that right?” 

Keith shrugs with a cheeky grin, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Lance sets everything back in the box and bounces a little, excited, “Okay! Now you open yours!”

Keith smiles as he digs into the gift from Lance. He opens the box, and smiles real soft. Inside is a hand knit scarf, and the same framed photo he gave Lance, just in a different frame. They laugh about it, hug, and talk until it’s ten pm and Lance says me might head out.

Lance peeks through the curtains and-

“Holy fuck, Keith. Look. I...I don’t think I’m going home tonight.”

“What do you mean?” Keith asked, peeking through. His eyes go wide as he watches what can only be defined as the worst blizzard he’s ever seen. He chokes on his spit, “Jesus! What the fuck?!”

Lance nods along, looking at his poor, snow covered car, “Man, am I glad Allura lives in the apartment above the shelter. The animals would’ve been totally screwed.”

Keith sighs, flopping back down on the couch, “Geez...I hope the animals are okay….Buuuuut…”

“Buuuuut?”

“It means we have more time to spend with each other. Even if the power goes out, I’ve got lots of blankets and candles, we could huddle up under those and play board ga-”

As if on cue, the power cuts out, leaving them sitting in the dark with nothing to help them see. Well, at least until Lance uses his phone as a flashlight, “Okay, the heaters are still on for now, so we should be fine as long as those are still working. How’re you feeling in this dark, dark Christmas Day Blizzard...trademark.”

Keith rolls his eyes at Lance’s interviewer voice, but a smile stays on his face, “I’m doing just fine, Mr. Interviewer Man.”

Lance laughs, at least for a bit, until he remembers his binder is still on. Fuck. Does Keith even know he’s trans? He hasn’t mentioned it, but...he figures he probably should. God, he hopes it doesn’t fuck anything up, “Uh--actually, I have to say something really important.”

Keith tilts his head, “Okay, what’s up?”

Lance breathes in, nervous, “I’m…I’m trans. And...I still haven’t had top surgery because I’m not old enough...so...I like….really need to take my binder off? I don’t wanna crush my ribs.” Much to Lance’s surprise, Keith doesn’t react in a weird way. He just...he just  _ smiles _ and tells him he can take it off in the bathroom. It’s so much of a relief that he almost cries, and he hugs him really tight, then runs off to yank it off. Fuck, that’s such a relief. He knows he’s had it off here before, but only when he was able to hide it. He was able to hide it when he stayed the night, his shirt was very loose, but this was different. This was a blatant acknowledgement that he was trans, and Keith only reacted in a sweet, understanding way. Lance’s heart thunders in his chest.

The heating system cuts out, right as Lance is leaving the bathroom. Both of them can hear it shut off, the loud whirring slowing down to nothing. Warmth fades. As it fades, the only thing Lance can think of is how cold he is. He and Keith huddle up--for warmth, he reminds himself--under several layers of blankets. It’s better this way, warmer this way, he doesn’t freeze this way. They look at the pictures of the kittens Allura keeps sending, giggling and enjoying how much it comforts them. Both of them had started yawning, which meant it was time to turn in. Lance is the one who suggests they huddle up together in Keith’s bed, emphasizing that it’s totally platonic, (it’s not) and cuddle to sleep, and they do. It’s the easiest time Lance has had falling asleep, even easier than the last time he spent the night. It’s also the  _ longest _ Lance has slept, coming in at an amazing nine hours. 

They each wake up around the same time, but Lance is the first to do so. He opens his eyes to see Keith’s face pressed into his chest. Opens his eyes to see Keith’s fists balled into his shirt. Opens his eyes to something that feels so  _ right,  _ but he knows is probably so  _ wrong.  _ His heart aches. He wants so badly to wake up to see that everyday, he wants so badly to just grab Keith’s face and pull him into a kiss, wants so badly to just speak his true feelings. He doesn’t do any of that. He just looks at the boy curled into his chest and thinks about things that he knows won’t ever happen. Keith wakes, blinking up at Lance tiredly. Lance flushes just a bit, “Good morning, Keith.”

Keith yawns, seemingly curling closer. He moves the blanket a bit to see if it’s still cold out. It’s fucking  _ freezing _ . He presses into Lance’s shoulder, “G’morning….the power’s still out….”

Lance sighs a bit, shivering when the temperature drops again, “Must still be snowing…did you sleep okay?”

Keith nods against Lance’s shoulder. It makes Lance blush, and blush, and  _ blush.  _ Keith looks at the door, “We can….go to the couch and….light some candles…”

Lance accepts the offer and stands, dragging Keith, and several blankets along with them. They get to the living room and Lance separates, freezing. He grabs a lighter and starts lighting candles to produce warmth and light. It’s still cold, but they’re able to shed a few blankets. The two of them huddle on the couch, grateful that their phones have excellent batteries. Lance is keenly aware of the warm breath fanning across his neck, but does his best to ignore it. Granted, it’s really hard to ignore it, but he’s trying his best.

To better preserve their batteries, they take turns watching movies on one another’s phones. Keith’s phone, then Lance’s phone, then Keith’s again, until there’s no battery left on either. They don’t know what time it is, but it’s definitely late, because they watched at  _ least _ seven movies. Lance looks out the window at the snow, “God, it’s still not letting up...How are you holding up?”

“Terrible. I’m cold, and it’s getting colder again. The candles are running out, we’re gonna have to huddle up again…”

“Ugh…at least it’s warm.”

“Yeah.” 

 

***

 

They’re stuck like this for almost a week. The snow keeps coming, down and down and down. It finally lets up, power comes back, and Lance doesn’t want to leave. He and Keith don’t have to huddle for warmth anymore, and he finds that he misses it, probably a bit too much. He plugs his phone in for now and messages everyone he knows and tells them he’s safe, and stayed with Keith. He looks out the window, “It’s still awful thick, it’s making it all the way up to the middle of my car…”

“You can stay for a while longer until the roads are clear….”

Lance blushes a bit, “Hah….yeah, I guess.”

**Author's Note:**

> Holy fuck idk when the next update will come, just be patient.
> 
> If you wanna draw stuff for it!! Go ahead!!! Tag me in it on tumblr!!! @Xephyr-does-shit or @all-klanced-up


End file.
